UMH 04

 Chapter: 04

Your Highness, Please Marry Me

At that shout that filled the entire hall, everyone froze in place.

A “mysterious death” meant a death with an unknown cause. In other words, if the Crown Prince had died from an illness, it would have been called a natural death—but the fact that it was declared a mysterious one meant there was a high probability of murder.

Of course, it was true that the Crown Prince had been weak in body, but there had been no recent reports of illness. If anything, he had been getting healthier.

If it was murder, anyone could be the culprit. It could be a servant, or one of the nobles in the hall. Even his own father, the Emperor, or his mother, the Empress, had to be considered possible suspects.

The Imperial Palace was that kind of place, and the imperial family were people who had to live with that understanding.

“Say that again… What happened to our Crown Prince… to my son Hebram…?”

The Empress rose from her seat, her voice trembling as if she were in shock. She looked as though she might collapse at any moment. Was that what a mother’s love looked like?

Serena watched the situation without emotion.

Just like the novel.

She was the only one in this hall maintaining her composure.

Because she knew how this would unfold.

The Crown Prince would die, and with no successor to the throne, the story would begin.

The protagonists were the Empire’s two Grand Dukes—Grand Duke Valter and Grand Duke Hilstein—and the princess of the Kingdom of Seiren, who had been taken hostage.

They would clash in a power struggle for the imperial throne. And within that conflict, both love and ambition would bloom.

The victor would be Grand Duke Valter, chosen by the princess. He would gain both love and the throne—a perfect protagonist, a complete winner.

“For the loser, there is only death.”

Gazing at the chaotic hall, Serena muttered quietly to herself.

In the end, the defeated Grand Duke Hilstein would meet a miserable end—suicide.

That was the memory that had flowed into her ten years ago.

She couldn’t say she remembered every detail of the book, but the major events and its core structure had firmly settled in her mind over the past decade.

“If you speak falsehood, I will have your head!!”

The Emperor’s roar shook the ground, pulling Serena out of her thoughts. She turned her gaze toward the trembling knight.

“This won’t be easy.”

Lucas, who had come close enough to whisper in her ear, was gently pushed away by Serena. No one was paying attention to them, but one could never be too careful—eyes and ears were everywhere.

Perhaps aware of his mistake, he stepped back obediently.

Events unfolded rapidly.

The hall, once filled with excitement and anticipation, was now heavy with fear. If it had been a prince, perhaps—but this was the Crown Prince. The scale was entirely different.

The Empress, already half-conscious, was carried out of the hall by others. The Emperor followed soon after, his red cloak billowing behind him.

“No one may leave.”

After the Emperor and Empress exited, the imperial knights sealed all the doors of the hall. No one would be allowed to leave until the cause was determined. Everyone in the imperial palace was now a suspect.

“Hm, I wonder how long they can hold us here.”

“Luke.”

Serena restrained Lucas, who seemed to be enjoying the situation. He quickly hid his expression and fell silent.

He was right, though. They couldn’t detain this many nobles forever.

An hour had already passed since the Emperor left the hall—surely the cause had been identified by now. If it was poison or a blade, there would be traces.

But contrary to expectations, even after two hours, no cause was announced.

Just as the nobles began raising their voices, unable to endure any longer, a servant entered through the hall doors.

“His Majesty orders that you may all return home safely.”

At those words, the knights opened the doors. Though the nobles voiced their dissatisfaction, they hurried to leave. Serena also moved, escorted by Lucas.

“Tired?”

“Yes.”

Serena did not have strong stamina; even short outings exhausted her quickly. And today, with the debutante, she had been under constant strain.

Leaving the crowded hall behind, she boarded Lucas’s carriage.

“I told them to head to the ducal residence.”

“And you?”

“Officially, she’s my sister, so I should at least go check on her.”

Serena nodded.

The current Empress was the eldest daughter of the Avenne family. That made her Lucas’s sister. The Crown Prince had been his nephew. With his nephew’s mysterious death, it was only proper to visit and offer condolences.

“Alright. I’ll go ahead.”

“Get home safely. Though… you’re not with an ordinary coachman, so it should be fine.”

Lucas looked at her with reluctance, clearly wishing he could go with her. Smiling faintly, Serena reached out and lightly touched his cheek.

“Don’t worry about me. Go on.”

Seemingly satisfied, he briefly held her hand before letting go carefully, as if she might break.

The carriage door closed, and it began to move.

“They couldn’t find the cause even after two hours…”

Leaning back against the soft seat, Serena gazed out the window.

“I didn’t expect things to move this quickly… and so thoroughly, too.”

It was true that the novel began with the Crown Prince’s death—but the timing was different.

He was supposed to die in late summer, near the end of the season—and the cause was supposed to be poisoning.

But Serena had intervened in that process.

She had arranged a secret meeting.

‘So he moved faster than I expected…’

That meeting had advanced the timing of the Crown Prince’s death.

In truth, this incident was a small gamble. Whether it succeeded or failed didn’t matter much. It marked the beginning of her plan, but nothing more.

The letter she had sent through Lucas was far more important—an experiment that would determine the course of everything to come.

Still, its success provided her with valuable data.

Smiling in satisfaction, Serena tapped her red lips lightly with her finger.

“By now… he must have received the letter.”

* * *

“My lord, if we keep dragging this out, only our side will suffer more!”

“But if we charge head-on, our losses will be severe!”

Diego watched the officers arguing so loudly that it was hard to tell whether this was a war council or a marketplace. Closing his aching eyes, he let out a sigh.

At the sound of his sigh, the tent fell silent instantly—like water poured over blazing flames.

“Arguing among ourselves won’t solve anything. We’ve sent scouts, so let’s wait a bit longer.”

Lowering his hand from his face, Diego stood up.

“That’s all for today. Return and prepare.”

The officers left the tent one by one. Finally, Diego and his aide, Eden, stepped out.

“You know both of them are right, don’t you?”

At Eden’s words, Diego looked at him as if asking why he had been so quiet until now, then nodded.

Removing his gloves, Diego entered his tent.

“Of course they are. But…”

As he spoke, his eyes fell on a luxurious envelope placed atop the map on the table.

It didn’t belong in a battlefield like this.

“What is this?”

There had been nothing there before. A letter?

He examined it carefully, even holding it up to the light of a mana stone. Nothing unusual.

“Guard.”

At his call, the guard entered and saluted.

“Yes, sir?”

“Did anyone come into my tent?”

“A servant came earlier to collect laundry. Is something wrong?”

Diego fell silent for a moment. The internal atmosphere was already tense—he didn’t want to stir trouble over a single letter.

“…Understood. You may go.”

The guard saluted again and left.

“Eden, you too.”

Even Eden, his closest aide, was dismissed. Though displeased, Eden left quickly after meeting Diego’s gaze.

This wasn’t a leisurely office setting where one could open letters comfortably. Diego sliced the envelope open with a dagger.

Inside was a single sheet of paper.

Blank.

But as if accustomed to such things, Diego lit a candle.

Bringing the paper close to the flame, letters began to appear.

To the Reaper of the Battlefield,

For reasons I cannot disclose, I cannot reveal my identity, but I write to deliver words that must reach Your Highness.

This prolonged war has exhausted both our forces and the enemy. However, do not strike first. The Kingdom is waiting for the Empire to make the first move.

I will provide several pieces of information that may lead this war to victory:

First, the depth of the Higels River between the two armies has significantly decreased. The lower stream may even reveal its bed. The river is wide, deep, and fast—yet the decrease suggests the enemy has blocked the upper stream.

Second, the guardians of the Kingdom, the Sirens, cover their eyes and close their mouths on the night of a lunar eclipse. That is your opportunity. Therefore, before the eclipse, you must secure the river’s upper stream.

Third, there is someone in communication with the Kingdom. Every late night, when the moon is highest, someone leaves the camp and heads toward the river. Watch carefully.

Based on this information, you should be able to secure victory.

Whether you trust this anonymous letter or not is up to you. A wise prince such as yourself will judge and decide accordingly.

If you do trust this and return victorious, I will come to you myself.

—Silver Flower

“…Ha.”

A heavy sigh escaped Diego’s lips.

Already plagued by nightmares these past days, receiving such a letter did not improve his mood.

After staring at the candle flame, he set the letter on fire.

It must not leak out. Even if it were a prank, he didn’t know how the soldiers might react.

“…And I can simply verify the truth.”

As written, there had already been reports about changes in the river’s depth and current. It couldn’t be dismissed easily.

He dropped the burning paper and crushed it underfoot, leaving only charred marks behind.

“…It’s about time the moon reaches its peak.”

How had this “Silver Flower” timed it so perfectly?

A moment when it was difficult not to investigate.

Adjusting the sword at his waist, Diego ordered the guard to admit no one, then headed toward the river.